


Glitter in the Blood

by jetredgirl



Category: Labyrinth (1986)
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Complete, F/M, Implied/Referenced Dubious Consent, darkish
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-24
Updated: 2018-07-15
Packaged: 2019-05-13 11:18:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14747828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jetredgirl/pseuds/jetredgirl
Summary: Something unusual has happened to Sarah Williams. Choices have consequences. There is a price to be paid for cruelty, but who is the cruel one?





	1. Part 1: A Beginning

Sarah noticed it when she was 17.

She cut her finger chopping onions for her stepmother. Thinking it was a watery eyes induced hallucination she dismissed it and put on a bandage.

Later, when she took her bandage off before she took a shower she looked closer and saw a gleam to the dried blood that was unnatural.

"Well, that's weird."

She turned her finger back and forth, watching the light hit her finger. At certain angles, her blood glittered.

A chill went up her spine, but it had to be something that got into the wound.

_It had to be._

_There is no other explanation._

Sarah shook it off, grabbed her robe and left her bedroom.

She missed the glint of eyes in the mirror, and a soft chuckle that came from nowhere, and everywhere.  
******************

_2 years later_

She was 19 and in college. Playing on her college softball team, she dove for home plate, and her knee rasped along the dirt, ripping the skin, scraping layers of flesh off as Sarah hissed in pain.

"Safe! " the umpire pronounced.

The crowd cheered as Sarah limped to the dugout, waving.

"Damn Williams that's a bad scrape. You better get that taken care of." a teammate said.

"Hah. Totally worth it, 2 runs in! "She joked back.

The medic came over and crouched in front of her went she sat. She grabbed a sterile wipe and dabbed at Sarah's knee.

As she did, her brow knitted together. "Hey, Sarah, was there glitter all over the ground? You have some, well, a lot in your skin."

Sarah leaned down. Her eyes widened.

_Holy shit._

"Uh I didn't see any, but who knows. Some jokers might have thrown some around." Sarah answered in a shaky voice.

The medic kept dabbing up the blood, and it kept sparkling.

Panicking slightly, Sarah jerked the wipe out the woman's hand. "It's okay I'll do it. You should get back in case someone else needs you." She grabbed a towel beside her and covered her wound.

The medic was taken by surprise, but stood up, still pondering the situation. "Okay, if you want to do it yourself that's fine." she backed away.

The game was over within a half hour and everyone left the field.

The medic looked around where she knew Sarah had hit the ground, and couldn't find a trace of glitter. "Oh well." She shrugged and left.  
***********************

_He watched the scene playing within the crystal, smiling._

_Soon, my love._

_We have forever, and that's not long at all, is it, pet?_

_He stroked the glass, as if to run a glove finger over her face.  
**********************_

That night, Sarah, alone in her dorm, pricked her finger with a sterile needle, letting a few drops fall on the snow white paper. She then smeared it across the surface.

"Oh God, it does. It sparkles, there is glitter in my blood." She murmured, horrified.

_What the actual fuck?_

She went to bed, but couldn't sleep. She tossed and turned.  
She knew what the origin had to have been because there was only one reason, but she didn't know how, or why.

The Labyrinth. That night. The biggest regret of her life, wishing her baby brother away.

But she got him back, and they returned home.

Hoggle's voice echoed through her head.

_"Even if you get to the center, you'll never get out again."_

She knew who to ask. There was only one who could answer the question, but she couldn't.

_She wouldn't._

_I'll just have to learn to live with it._

After that night she was very careful.

She looked over her shoulder, expecting him to appear, but he never did.

She wasn't stupid. She knew down deep, he watched. She swore could *feel* him.

But she moved on, convincing herself it was her imagination.  
*****************

_Sarah's 21st birthday._

It was summer, so she was home. The day had gone off without a hitch.

Sarah now avoided sharp objects around others and watched where she went. Her secret couldn't get out.

She knew as long as she was very very vigilant, she was safe. No one would know about her odd little affliction.

As she crawled into her childhood bed, she failed to notice the owl silently watching.

_It was time._

_The goblins danced and sang._

_"it's time, it's time, no more waiting, it's time it's time, our queen is coming home…"  
*******************_

He crept through the mirror glass, silently towards the bed. As she slept he passed a hand over her.

The girl was gone. He watched as everything within the room dissipated into nothing.

_The girl was never there._

The Goblin King grinned. The window opened silently with a twitch of a finger.

He took flight, winging his way through the sky, off to be with his new bride, promised to him by a young, desperately unhappy mother, who had preferred to trade her sad domesticity and her first born daughter for her silly dreams of fame and fortune.

_I wonder what she'll do, what she'll say. She thinks I am cruel, wait until she knows how cruel her mother was. That I found her walking in those nearby woods, planning to do away with her own child and telling her husband a two year old Sarah had been taken at the park._

_That The Goblin King offered her selfish mother her dreams, in trade for her daughter at the age of 21, when she was old enough to keep. Linda had gladly taken the crystal, hesitating only seconds to ask of him one thing._

_How will she feel to know I saved her life._

_What will she think when she finds out about her own cruelty. That she alone created the story that ended in wishing her brother away, because she wanted him gone that badly. The book had been blank when he had given it to her mother, to be given as a gift to the child to write her own path to him, when she was ready._

_It was written by her alone, using the powers she was gifted with. What will be her thoughts when she learned that she created the game board, and the pawns, and I only did what she wanted. She wanted me to be cruel, as well._

_She was the cruel one, not I. She seems less cruel now, but the underground changes people. I should know.  It will return._

He wanted to be there when she woke. He had leverage for her cooperation now. The very friends she created, that lived happily and oblivious to their origins.

With a sweep of his hand, he could destroy them. She had powers but he was not foolish enough to make her more powerful than him.

_Too bad no one told her what fairy bites really do. I warned her. I told her to turn back. If she had never written the story, she would have lived oblivious to me._

He had promised Linda he would give the girl a chance to avoid her fate when the woman had a momentary twinge of guilt, to make it a little more fair. 

_That reminds me, I owe the fairy queen a small favor, don't I? Later, much later._

_I have much to do, and there is much to discuss with my dear precious Queen._

_I will get to it…eventually._  
*********************

Sarah woke slowly. Her eyes felt gummy and her limbs were as heavy as rocks. She turned and pushed her face into the soft pillow, that smelled of lavender.

_Lavender?_

Her eyes opened. She wasn't alone, there was someone sitting in a chair next to the bed.

He was smiling at her.

She screamed and sat up.

"Hello, my love," The Goblin King said. "Welcome home. We've missed you."

~~fin~~

 


	2. Part 2: An Ending.

At 65, Linda Williams wasn't such a hot commodity anymore.

Oh she got roles that keep her going, had all the money and things she wanted, all she could ever want

She had a string of failed marriages and had had no children.

 _Well_ ,  _no_   _children_   _anyone_   _knew_   _of,_   _but_   _her_.

She didnt know, didn't understand what the consequences would be, how it would feel.

She didn't know the loophole was that no one would remember but her.

Hell, she didn't even know if she had hallucinated the whole fucking thing and she managed to get extremely lucky soon after.

And 25 years ago she found out.

Her daughter was gone.

She had called her ex husband's home to wish her daughter happy birthday. Robert hadn't known what she was talking about and assumed she was drunk.

_What daughter? Linda are you drunk?_

Sarah was gone and no one knew but her.

She sold her child to the devil. A beautiful shade who she knew had to be some hallucination.

 _He_   _wasn't_.

So she tried to forget.

She drowned her pain in work, booze and men, winning award after award, with a huge ball of terrible regret eating away at her soul.

It was too late.

 _Or was it_?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was Mother's Day weekend and Linda was going crazy.

The night was lit up by the full moon as she drove herself to the woods near her old home.

The woods where she had, all those years ago, carried her innocent daughter and met her fate, and handed her only child's life away.

Because she was stupid, young and selfish.

Linda wove her way through the trees, crying and falling all over, her dress torn and dirty.

"I'm so sorry! Please! Return her! She doesn't deserve this! Take me in her place! I'll do anything!"

She fell to the ground in a clearing and stayed there.

"I think not. I have no use for an old woman. You couldn't even birth children. Why would I want to be saddled with a drunken hag like you who plotted to murder a child. I have goblins to scrub my floors."

The voice came from above. Through her haze she saw boots in front of her, and slowly her head lifted to see  _him_.

"You are evil. You are the devil." she seethed.

He knelt down and cupped her chin.

"No, but I know him. Even he wouldn't kill a child. Children have no place in the devil's underworld."

He grinned, his sharp teeth glinting in the moonlight.

"Now, what's this here? You were given what you asked for, and I took what was rightfully mine. I was more than fair. My Queen for you? Oh you surely must be kidding."

She just stared at him wide eyed.

"But I can be generous, so I offer you a consolation."

He created a crystal, and blew it to the side. As she watched it got larger until it blinded her with its light. There was a popping sound and the light was gone.

In its place stood a woman.

Sarah. Dressed in matching armor to the man who stole her away. She looked like she hadn't aged at all.

It surprised Linda to feel jealousy burn through her for a few seconds.

"Look, my love, your mother missed you." Jareth announced in a sing song voice.

Linda pushed down her feelings and stood to greet her. "Sarah...I'm so so sorry.. I didn't know what would happen... I...you have to forgive me..."

"Mother." Sarah hissed. Her eyes hard and cruel, her sweet voice Linda remembered now a low growl.

"If you will excuse me, ladies, I have business to attend to." He turned to Linda and bowed. "Our business is finished."

He walked to Sarah. "Dearest, do what you will. I've shielded the space. If you need me to assist in...cleaning up, feel free to call me. Please be home for supper. The children would miss you."

He smiled at Linda in a way that chilled her to her bones and disappeared like the Cheshire cat, his smile the last to fade away.

"So umm...you had kids?" Linda asked nervously. She didn't know what to say.

"Shut up. Linda Williams, you are charged with conspiring to kill a Queen. Do you know the price for that in the Underground?"

"But Sarah, I mean, you weren't a queen. You were a kid. Look Sarah I thought it was a dream!"

Her voice rose as panic set in, a s it dawned on her she might be in danger.

"I really did I swear! I'd been drinking and took a couple of pills! I was out of my head and that...that thing took advantage of me!"

Sarah began to laugh. "*He* took advantage of you?"

She began to walk slowly around the older woman, slapping a crop against her leather clad thigh, her green eyes burning holes into the older woman.

Linda had a flash of her daughter as a baby. Those wide innocent green eyes looking up at her lovingly from her crib, her little hands stretching out...crying and calling for "mama" as Linda sat there staring at this baby she never really wanted that she had with a man she never really loved.

Except now, all the innocence was burned away. The love a distant memory. All she saw was cruelty and contempt.

Sarah stopped in front of her. Face to face.

She brought the crop up and touched it to her mother's cheek.

Then she smiled, and Linda saw her daughter's smile matched the Kings smile. Sinister and knowing.

The pain against her face as the crop struck home burned and in her inebriated state caused her to fall to her knees.

Sarah stood over her, magic crackling around her, dark hair blowing in an unseen wind, her eyes glowing with green fire.

Then she spoke. "Don't even try to excuse yourself. Did you think he wouldn't tell me? Show me? You begged him to take me! He showed me everything! You had a knife at my throat! You were going to kill me and leave me to rot here!"

Sarah brought the crop down on the other side of her face. And Linda's eyes watered as another line of fire traced her face.

"You disgust me, mother. He is not my favorite person, by far, but at least I know he would never do what you have done. What he did was terrible, but I understand him now. I understand why after years and years of watching the casual hate and cruelty of humans, he is who and what he is. He *never* steals, or takes, because of heartless bitches like you, he never has to."

Linda forced herself up again." Sarah please. We could just leave. I know you're mad at me but we could...gah!"

The crop left a line of fire across her chest.

"What? You think we would bond, drink tea and share recipes?! Do you have any concept who you gave me to?! Where I've been, what I've done? How I've had to survive!? "

Sarah grabbed her mother off the ground, holding her slightly above her head by the woman's neck, her feet not quite touching the earth.

"I've killed for far less than what you've done, Mother."

She let Linda choke for another moment then dropped her ungraciously to the ground.

"My humanity is gone, Linda dearest. You don't seem to understand that. I have no attachment to you."

"But what about Toby?" Linda scrambled for something to distract her enraged daughter.

Sarah's eyes flashed. They dimmed a little and Linda saw a hint of despair behind everything.

She had no idea that was the wrong thing to say.

Sarah picked her up and threw her across the clearing.

"Do NOT say his name. You do not deserve to have the privilege to say it. Because that, too, is your doing. You stole him from me too."

Linda knew her arm was broken. She hadn't expected Sarah to be like this. To be so cruel.

"Please Sarah, I...I shouldn't have come here, I know that now. I'll just go.." She began to crawl away, scrabbling to her feet.

But this was not her child. She did not look at her like that child did so long ago.

Sarah grabbed her by the neck from behind. "What, not staying for a coffee clatch?"

Linda stilled. "You're going to kill me, aren't you. Then do it okay? I deserve it I know! Get it done! I can't live with this anymore anyway!" She screeched as Sarah's fingers dug deeper.

Linda found herself on the ground again.

She sat there panting, and waited for her death.

_At least it would be over. Finally some peace._

"I was going to." Sarah said with a soft purr.

"But, I have better idea. In fact, I've brought a gift. It's Mother's Day is it not?"

Linda forced herself up and turned to face Sarah, who was calmly waiting for her replay.

"Yes."

Sarah grinned. "Well, Happy mother's day, Mama."

Linda tried to step back, but Sarah had created a binding crystal to hold her still.

A knife appeared in Sarah's hand.

She pulled off a glove and sliced her own palm, then grabbed Linda's hand and did the same as Linda trembled under the spell that held her in place.

The moment her daughter's blood touched her Linda's, felt a tingling, then burning, then excruciating fire go up her arm and into her body as Sarah quietly chanted a spell.

When it was done Sarah unbound her, healed her own hand and slipped her glove back on as Linda thrashed on the ground.

Linda didn't know how long it was. Seconds or hours, it was hard to tell. All she knew is she was burning alive.

But she wasn't. Eventually the pain ceased and she found she could move her arm.

Sarah stood calmly, waiting, as Linda got up and faced her once more

Linda saw The King standing in shadows close behind, a hand on Sarah's hip.

"This is your choice?" He whispered into Sarah's ear, but Linda heard. Her hearing was now somehow magnified.

"Yes, my king." Sarah whispered back.

"Very well. Only for you will I allow it." He ran a finger down Sarah's face, and Linda observed a slight flinch from her daughter.

"What did you do!?" Linda got up the nerve to ask. She felt very strange.

"Why, now you will live forever as you are Mother. Just like me. Isn't that generous?"

Linda's mouth dropped open. "Whaaa...why!?"

Jareth stepped forward. "Of course you have no magic, mortals with magic is dangerous, but you will live on, enjoying the fruits of all your labors for all time."

The devil's smile was back. "Again the Underground blesses you."

"Can we just go home now?" Sarah blurted out.

To Linda's ears, she sounded now a bit like teenager asking for something from a parent. The intimidating low tone was gone. She sounded just like Sarah at 15.

_What has that...thing done to her?_

"I'm tired and I don't want to be here anymore. Please?"

"Of course." Jareth replied. "Let's get you home, pet. Perhaps a nap and a bath."

He put an arm around Sarah to guide her away, but stopped to say one last thing. "Enjoy your new life, Linda."

They were gone.

Linda fled. Her arm was healed but it was also throbbing. She stumbled to her car and got as far away as she could.

The next day, Linda awoke in a field on the side of the road, facedown.

She didn't know how she got there, but she was clutching her bottle of tequila and her car was nearby. Her hands were covered in dried blood.

She crawled to her car and pulled herself into it.

The crazy memories of the night flooded her mind.

 _What an insane dream! Fucking hell!_ She thought.  _No more cheap tequila and Xanax._

When she got in she went to check her face as it felt puffy, and nearly fainted.

There were two long jagged crusted scars, one on each side of her face, and one across her chest, blood dried around them. They looked awful.

"What the actual fuck!"

A faint echo of a female voice whispered in her ear.

 _Sarah's_   _voice_.

" _Enjoy_   _life_   _eternal_... _as_   _you_   _are_... "

The high pitched giggle that followed was joined by a low pitched chuckle, then faded away.

Linda screamed, and screamed, staring at the blood all over herself and the scars in the mirror that would always mar her face and chest, and remind her of her crimes against her daughter.

And the blood  _glittered._

_~fin~_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So many asked for me to add on, so I did.
> 
> Linda gets her comeuppance, and there is a peek into the J&S relationship that has developed.
> 
> He's not exactly abusive, but he's not exactly kind either.
> 
> He is her King, Lord and Master and she answers only to him. He trained her, taught her, owns her, rewards her, and punishes her. He demanded children from her, she gave him children.
> 
> Does he love her? I guess that depends. He certainly covets her as his most beautiful prize of all, and in my headcanon for this version of his world, killed viciously to protect and keep her for his own. I can't say that's loving her, or just loving owning her. Interpretation up to you all, dear readers.
> 
> Yes, it's not my usual thing, and a detailed story like this isn't really in me, but I think readers get the gist.
> 
> A question I anticipate is about Linda's arm healing and wounds not healing.
> 
> The answer is, the wounds Sarah caused are laced with her magic, and Linda broke her arm by falling down, not magically, so it was able to be healed by the spell, while the others were prevented from healing by Sarah's magic.
> 
> Not sure honestly if I'm 100% happy with it, but it begged to be written.

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by a fellow author in the Labyrinth Fan fic Lovers FB group, who suggested we Labyfic scribes have "glitter in our blood." Because we rock and inspire each other daily.


End file.
